Fruit-picker



(No Model.)

J. H. WOODWARD. FRUIT PIGKBR.

No. 460,903. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

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JOHN H. WOODVARD, OE ROCHESTER, NEYV YORK.

FRUIT-PICKER.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,903, dated October6, 1891. Application filed November 29, 1890. Serial No. 373,004. (Nomodel.)

To all 'L1/771.071@ it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. '\\f'ooDwARD, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedFruit-Picker, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in fruit-pickers, and moreespecially to that class of fruit-pickers which are adapted to be usedin picking grapes. It is well known that it is quite a difficult job topluck grapes from the vines, as the, clusters are likely to be bruisedorthe grapes loosened; and the object of my invention is to produce asimple and convenient picker, by means of which the clusters may bereadily severed from the vine, and which at the same time will preventthe clusters from dropping and will hold them so that they may be easilydeposited in a suitable receptacle.

To this end my invention consists in a fruitpicker constructedsubstantially as herein.

after described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the ligu res.

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, showing thefruit-picker in position for severing a cluster of grapes from the vine.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fruit-picker, showing the grapessevered and held by the picker. Fig. 31s a plan of the picker, and Fig.e is a detail plan view of the springpressed plate which is held beneaththe main bar.

The fruit-picker has a main dat bar A, which is secured at one end toone member B of a handle, and which, near its forward end, is providedon opposite sides with converging notches a, and which terminates in ablunt point a', on the under side of which near the front ends of thenotches is a shoulder a2, which aligns with a plate on the under side ofthe bar. The bar A is also provided near its central portion with alongitudinal slot a3 and at its rear end with a slot a4, the slots beingintended to guide the knife O, which lies iiatwise on the top of the barA and is adapted to slide thereon. The knife C terminates at its frontend in an edge c, which is arranged to slide over the slots a, and theknifeis held to the bar A by the screws D and D', the screws D beingmade to extend through the slot a3 of the bar A and being screwed intothe knife, and the screwD extending through the slot a4 of the bar andinto the rear end of the knife. Screwed to the rear end of the knife isthe member E of the fruit-picker handle, said member being shaped to titthc hand and having at its upper end a horn E', which is shaped to fitone side of the hand and prevents the h and from sliding off the handle.A spring F is arranged between the members B and E of the handle, thesaid spring having a central coil at f and having terminal bends, asshown at f', one end being made to enter a recess in the member B andthe opposite end being made to enter a corresponding recess in themember E, the spring being held in position by means of a keeper e onthe member E, through which the spring passes, and the pressure of thespring will normally press the members of the handle apart, so that theknife C will be pushed rearward on the bar A, as shown in Fig. l.

On the under side of the barA is a plate G, which is held to the bar bymeans of the screws D, by which the bai-and knife are connected, andwhich is provided with two slots g and g', the slot g extending from therear screw D to a point near the forward screw D, and the slot gembracing the forward screw D and limiting the movement of the plateupon the bar, as described below. A spring H is mounted in the slot g,the rear end of the spring pressing' against the rear screw D, and thespring thus serves to adj ust the plate G to fruit-stems of variousthicknesses. The stems of the grapes are held between the front end ofthe plate G and the shoulder a2 of the bar A, and when an unusuallythick stem is cut the plate G will be forced rearward to compensate forthe increased thickness of the stem. On the under side of the plate G isa supplemental plate or washer G', which covers the slots y and g andprevents water from entering the same and rusting the spring.

The device is operated as follows: The

operator grasps the members B and E of the handle and hooks one of thenotches c upon IOC the stern of a cluster of grapes, the point aenabling the fruit-picker to be easily inserted through the foliage ofthe vi nes, and the inembers of the handle are then pressed together,thus causing the knife C to slide forward and sever the stem, which willbe caught between the front end of the plate Gand the shoulder a2 of thebar A, thus preventing the cluster from dropping, and it may be carriedto a suitable receptacle, when the pressure on the handle is removed andthe' cluster permitted to drop.

Having thus described lny invention, I claim as 'new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. A fruit-picker comprising a handled barhaving a pointed end, with side notches adjacent to the pointed end anda shoulder on the under side of it, a spring-pressed knife held to slideon the upper side of the bar, and a spring-pressed plate on the underside of the bar adapted to abut With the shoulder,

VYof the bar and abut With the shoulder, and

connections between the plate and the knife, substantially as described.

3. A fruit-picker comprising a notched bar having one end pointed andthe opposite end provided with ahandle, a spring-pressed knife held toslide on the bar, and a stem-clamp adapted to operate in unison with theknife, substantially as described.

JOHN H. WOODWARD.

Witnesses:

ROY C. WEBSTER, EDWARD WEBSTER

